Super Bowl: Seifert Relieves Pressure, Brings Personality To 49ers

January 25, 1990|By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer

NEW ORLEANS — George Seifert was about 32,000 feet above the ground, headed for Cleveland in early February, when owner Edward DeBartolo Jr. of the San Francisco 49ers placed a call to Mrs. Linda Seifert.

"Tell your husband to turn around and come back," said DeBartolo. "We would like to promote him within our organization."

For Seifert, a 12-year member of the 49ers and the defensive coordinator for the last eight seasons, that meant only one thing.

His dream of succeeding Bill Walsh as coach of the defending Super Bowl champions and the winningest team in the 1980s was about to become a reality.

He had been offered the job as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, and was on his way to finalize the deal.

But it was the 49ers' job that he wanted, and he was on his way to Cleveland because he didn't think Walsh, despite rumors of his retirement, was going to give it up.

"When Cleveland called me, I didn't go directly to Bill and ask him if he was going to retire," said Seifert, "but during our group meeting the Tuesday after the Super Bowl, he talked about staff meetings and vacations.

"It seemed like business as usual. I felt he had made up his mind to stay. When they reached me in Cleveland and told me to fly back home, I knew he had retired and I was going to be offered the job I really wanted."

A lot of people questioned whether Seifert did the right thing by moving into Walsh's office.

To some, Seifert was in a no-lose situation. How could he go wrong with the most successful team of the decade, a team coming off its third Super Bowl victory in nine years and showing no signs of decay?

To others, it was a no-win situation. If he won another Super Bowl, it would be because Walsh left him with a great offensive system and the most talented team in the league. If they didn't win, it would be only because Seifert screwed it up.

Less than a year after Walsh, citing burnout, retired and went to NBC as a football analyst, the 49ers are heavily favored to win another Super Bowl.

Seifert didn't get much support for Coach of the Year honors after the 14-2 regular season and easy victories over Minnesota and the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.

It seemed the prevailing mood was that Seifert had only proved that he was a great caretaker of Walsh's team. He had yet to establish himself as a great coach.

"I won't get into a debate about whose team this is," said Seifert. "I'm not into those kind of things. The only thing that matters is we made it to the Super Bowl.

"I'll admit we really didn't enter this season thinking we were going to change a heck of a lot. Why should we? We had a very set and sound offense, and our defense was established.

"Obviously there have been minor and subtle changes, but it was more a tightening of things and going along with the same flow."

But the players insist that the 1989 49ers bear Seifert's brand.

"There's no question that Coach Seifert isn't getting all the credit he deserves for this season," said offensive tackle Bubba Paris.

"He didn't change many things this season, but the changes he did make helped make us a better team. Plus, he brought a different personality than Coach Walsh."

Seifert made a few changes in the playbook, but the players cite personality as the biggest difference between Seifert and Walsh.

"Players don't hesitate to walk up and strike a conversation with George," said guard Jesse Sapolu. "We didn't feel quite as comfortable about doing that with Coach Walsh."

O.J. Simpson, a Hall of Fame running back with the Buffalo Bills who finished his career with the 49ers in 1979, has remained close to the team and is friends with a lot of the players.

"It's hard for a Super Bowl champion to repeat the following year, and no team has done it since Pittsburgh (in 1979)," said Simpson, "but I said before the season that the 49ers had a better chance of repeating with Seifert than with Walsh.

"I don't dislike Bill, but he was drawing away from the players. He had used up most of his emotional tricks over the years and was beginning to get on some players' nerves.

"When George took over, it was like a breath of fresh air. George knew Walsh's system inside and out, but he brought a new personality to the head coaching position. He was open, personable, and a lot of guys who were upset with Bill felt they had a new beginning."

One such player was Paris, who ate himself out of the starting lineup in 1988. But more than losing his job to Steve Wallace, Paris had to live with being humiliated in print by Walsh.

"Wallace finishes his blocks, not his plate," Walsh told the media after announcing the lineup change.

"I'll admit I had a problem with Coach Walsh," said Paris, who is listed at 320 pounds but is believed to weigh almost 350. "He destroyed my self-esteem and destroyed the things that made me a person.

"Bill Walsh had a way of sticking his finger in a person's sore spot and making him fell worse.